The present invention is directed generally to wire clamps, and more particularly to a wire clamp for retaining electrical installation wire such as a drop wire for telephone or coaxial cable for television service.
The wire clamp of the invention advantageously permits axial movement of the retained wire or cable in but a single direction, for example to permit adjustment of tension on the wire or cable, while opposing axial movement in the other direction, to thereby maintain the tension imparted to the wire or cable.
The prior art has proposed a number of devices for use as drop wire clamps. Heretofore, such clamps have frequently been of metallic construction, and hence relatively expensive to construct and install. The prior art has also proposed relatively less expensive clamps of plastics materials for this purpose. However, the prior art clamps heretofore in use have generally provided two or more interfitting clamping components for achieving restraint of a wire or cable in but one axial direction, while permitting movement as for tensioning, in the opposite direction. Hence, some difficulty may be encountered in properly installing such a multi-piece clamping device upon a given wire or cable.
Moreover, many of the prior art devices of the foregoing type become relatively permanently engaged with the wire once the installation and desired tensioning is accomplished. Hence, removal of the wire for replacement thereof, or replacement of the clamping device, should either become damaged while in service, is relatively difficult.